DIVINE STRAKE: U.S. MILITARY PLAN TO DETONATE A 700-TON EXPLOSIVE CHARGE JUNE 2ND THAT COULD SEND A MUSHROOM CLOUD OVER LAS VEGAS

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"If you want to model these weapons, you want to know from a modelling point of view what is the ideal best condition you could ever set up in a conventional weapon - what's the best you can do.

"And this gets at the best point you could get on a curve. So it allows us to predict how effective these kinds of weapons ... would be."

THE US military planned to detonate a 700-tonne explosive charge in a test called "Divine Strake" that could send a mushroom cloud over Las Vegas, a senior defence official said.

"I don't want to sound glib here but it is the first time in Nevada that you'll see a mushroom cloud over Las Vegas since we stopped testing nuclear weapons," James Tegnelia, head of the Defence Threat Reduction Agency said.

Mr Tegnelia's remark at a breakfast with defence reporters set off shock waves of its own in Washington.